What's your background in a few words?

Maria Karunagaran, 29, born in the Paris region. My lifelong passions: the world of luxury, anthropology and entrepreneurship.

After studying languages at the Sorbonne and a Masters in Marketing at PSB (business school), it was at the age of 23 that I took my first steps into the world of footwear. I was in charge of the European customer portfolio of a major shoe manufacturer in India, and it was there that I learned all the secrets of manufacturing. I was lucky enough to work with a self-made man who learnt everything on his own - the best apprenticeship for me! 
And it was while my husband and I were planning my wedding that we came up with the idea of creating an innovative brand that would finally meet the expectations of the market: who hasn't had trouble finding the right shoe? That's why we decided to give birth to Maison Felger in 2017 and to reinterpret the savoir-faire of excellence in footwear by infusing it with technology: foot scans, 3D printing, the whole experience of our brand is based on a skilful blend of technology and the savoir-faire of excellence. All made in France. 

What is your role at Maison Felger?

I'm the founder of Maison Felger. I created the brand from scratch, imagining the world in which customers could travel, the experience, the quality and the design of the products. 
In general, my role is to guide the vision - more or less long-term - of the brand. I'm a bit like the conductor of the whole project, I have a vision that I pass on to the team, we discuss it and work together to make it as realistic and achievable as possible. In practice, I'm really involved in everything: I prepare the collections with the designers and the design office, I supervise the marketing and sales activities, and I also work on the management of the company, recruitment and so on. It's a real multi-tasking job.​

As a woman, what difficulties do you face in the world of industry ?

How do you manage to make your mark in this predominantly male sector? This question may seem trivial at first, but it's true that it's sometimes difficult to make your mark as a woman in a sector dominated by men. Maybe it's sad to say, but you get used to it, or at least you find mechanisms that allow you to assert yourself as a woman in this environment. Often, when I go out to meet my suppliers, collaborators or other contractors, I'm accompanied either by my trainees or my husband (who's also a partner) and it's not unusual for my male contacts to naturally turn to my husband, assuming that he's the founder of the brand. It's not unusual for my trainees or associates to be mistaken for the CEO and for me to be mistaken for the trainee...

The latest was a supplier who didn't believe until the last minute that I would be the person to sign the purchase order for a sale worth several hundred thousand euros. Naturally, he thought it was my husband who would be responsible. When that happens, I try to take a step back from the situation and I prefer to laugh about it: the most important thing is to stay focused on what's important and what you came here to do. And then you end up adopting mechanisms, for example, when I arrive for an appointment I always speak first and I adopt a fairly confident tone, I make sure I look the person I'm talking to in the eye, etc. These are the kinds of little details that help me to stay focused on what's important. It's these kinds of small details that make all the difference, it's almost animal-like really: the first few seconds count enormously. What's more, I've learnt to be a lot more confident and I impose my style. In the same way, I make absolutely no attempt to hide the fact that I'm a woman, I fully accept it.

I'm pregnant with my second baby and it's true that for both my pregnancies I didn't try to hide my tummy, I let it show but I don't talk about it (unless someone asks me). I accept my femininity, motherhood and its ups and downs, and I think that commands respect.

Most of my suppliers/collaborators appreciate this stance, especially when they see that they are dealing with someone who is reliable and professional. Of course, sometimes it requires us women to do more than the men, to be beyond reproach, to manage things better than they do, to let nothing show, but I'm happy to do it because I'm thinking about my little girl's future and I tell myself that if she doesn't have to do all that in a few years' time, our efforts won't have been in vain.

What advice would you give to the ‘woman entrepreneur’ of 2021?

Perseverance - Perseverance - Perseverance :) 

Believe in yourself, in your dreams, in your intuition! If you think you're capable of doing something, don't let others tell you otherwise. Being a woman entrepreneur in 2021 is certainly not easy, but it's not as easy as it was a few decades ago, so go for it! There's help and support out there, and there are structures, associations and groups that can help you find synergy and support. And above all, it's very important to surround yourself with the right people: partners, associates, spouses, friends - after all, that's the hard core that will be there to support you through the good times and the bad. 

Why do you work with Adapta?  

We turned to Adapta because the company's overall approach is in line with what we're doing at Maison Felger: circular economy, short and well thought-out circuits, low environmental impact, use of leather deadstocks so no polluting creation. With this type of sourcing, we can be sure of being able to guarantee quality leather to our customers, because it comes from very reputable companies. What's more, we can easily trace the origin of each leather we choose, so everything is transparent, which is great! 

Finally, our collaboration with Adapta allows us to create a certain ‘rendez-vous’ with our customers and renew our collections more often, always offering them new colours and different materials. In this way, our offer is more creative and encourages customers to break with their habits, to treat themselves and take part in a kind of ritual. 

What are your favourite Adapta products? 

Étant donné que nous fabriquons pour une clientèle masculine, en général nous choisissons des couleurs très sobres (noir, marron, cognac, etc). Alors quand on peut, on essaie de pousser un petit peu nos clients à sortir de leur zone de confort, et dans ces cas, on propose des marines, des bourgandy

Recently, the whole team fell in love with a very, very dark Bordeaux! We can't wait to present it to our customers ;) 

 

Crédits photos: Marc Dimitrov